Beauty And The Beast
by tilldeathdouspart789
Summary: Yuiko is a normal 17 year old girl who loves animals,but they hate her.One day,she enters the land surrounding a supposedly haunted mansion,only to meet a mysterious guy with a dark secret...
1. Chapter 1

**I hope this is an okay story! My first for Beast master, so I would like reviews please! **

**Enjoy!**

**Love and hate**

"Yuiko! Hurry or you'll be late for school!" A man with a stethoscope shouted upstairs.

"Alright! Alright! I'm going!" A girl with short brown hair came running down the stairs, carrying her school bag. She rushed on her shoes and opened the front door. "I'm leaving now!" She yelled to her father.

"Have a good day, Yuiko!" The man wiped his hands with a cloth and sighed. "That girl should really learn to get up and ready earlier…"

Yuiko ran down the street, huffing and panting. Her bag banged against her leg as she kept a tight grip on the strap over her shoulder. She turned down a street and came across a ginger cat, basking in the morning sun. Her eyes began to shimmer and sparkle at the sight. She just couldn't resist.

"You're so adorable! I wanna pet you!" She jumped towards the cat with affection. A little _too_ much affection. She grabbed hold of the struggling and frightened cat and refused to let go.

"Mreooowww!" The cat cried and turned on Yuiko, Scratching her face numerous times.

Yuiko released her grip on the cat and it took the chance to escape from Yuiko's sight. "Wait, Kitty! I only wanted to pet you! Come back!" She yelled after the cat, but to no avail; the cat was long gone. She pouted and continued to school, depressed.

_I love animals. _She thought to herself. _It's just that animals hate me… Maybe I'm a little too forceful?_ She came in sight of the school and saw her friends. _At least I'm good with people._

The school bell rang and Yuiko sat in her usual seat, receiving unusual gazes from others in her class. Her injured face seemed to attract a lot of attention.

"Got attacked by a cat again, Yuiko?" A girl with black hair in a bun sat next to Yuiko with a concerned look.

"Animals really seem to hate you, don't they?" Another girl sat on Yuiko's desk pointing at a scratch on her cheek. "A scratch this deep seems to mean 'get away from me you freaky woman!' to me…"

Yuiko lowered her head. "Thanks for cheering me up, Rena…" She spoke sarcastically. "I wish I could pet an animal without it running away or attacking me…" Yuiko mumbled, pouting like a little kid.

Rena smiled gently. "Don't worry! Sooner or later, animals will start coming to you!" She patted Yuiko's back, encouragingly.

"I have a feeling it's going to happen much, much, much later…" Yuiko grumbled, depressed over the fact she cannot even speak to an animal without going all-out and ending up scratched or scaring them away.

"Did you guys hear?" A boy butted into their conversation, changing the subject. "There was a group of guys who went to that haunted mansion!"

Yuiko perked up. "You mean the one just outside of town?" She asked the boy, completely forgetting the fact she was so depressed a few seconds earlier.

Rena turned to the boy. "But that's crazy! No-one ever dares to step foot anywhere near that place! Why did they do that?"

A boy with glasses joined in the conversation. "Supposedly, they were over-heard by some of their class men and wanted o prove they were the toughest guys in the town. But police reports say they found them at the gate, almost killed by some sort of wild beast."

Yuiko almost jumped out of her skin. "Really! But, class pres, how is that even possible? There are no animals which pose a threat in this area!"

The class pres turned round and pushed up his glasses. "That coming from a girl with injuries all across her face? If you want to make us believe that, don't show us evidence which proves you wrong…"

Yuiko slid down in her seat and folded her arms. "Even so… No animals in this area would kill, right?"

"Yuiko is right … But if it wasn't a wild animal, what could it have been?" Rena sat back and looked out the window to the direction of the mansion.

The old, gothic-style building sat on top of a hill, watching over the entire town, where birds and different mammals lived. A dark aura emitted off of the building, giving Rena goose-bumps.

"Well, whatever it is, it needs to be investigated…" Yuiko stood up from her seat. "I'll ask my dad about it, he should know if there was any wild animal that could do that, since he is the local Veterinarian." She picked up her bag and waved to her friends. "I'll be going first."

Rena sighed. "I hope Yuiko isn't going to do something foolish…"

"That girl always ends up in some sort of situation when it regards an animal of some kind." The class pres watched as Yuiko left.

**I hope this was enjoyable for you guys! Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Swine flu has taken me as its next victim so I am left to suffer in my bed for the next several days. But, because of that, it seems I can write more stories. I have to take medication and I cannot touch anything anybody else in my family touches, so that is a bummer, but at least I can touch my trusted laptop!**

**Anyway! Let's get on with the next chapter! (To be honest, I think this chapter is far more better than the first, that's why I'm putting this one up so early, so that readers can see what this story is a little more about.)**

**The harmonica**

Yuiko was making her way home, still curious about the odd mansion mystery. _Why on earth would there be a wild animal capable of killing here in this town? We have no zoos or animal sanctuaries, so there should only be the normal animals here; birds, foxes, badgers, deer…_

Yuiko stopped in her tracks and her eyes widened. A large dog sat in front of her, with sharp eyes. Her fists tightened and sweat began to drip off her face. She swallowed hard and slowly, cautiously walked forward, closer and closer to the animal. The dog's ears twitched.

Then all of a sudden… "Doggy!" Yuiko lunged herself at the dog, wrapping her arms around the dogs thick neck. "So cute! I wanna pet you and hug you and kiss you and love you!" She rubbed her head against the dog's frightened face.

The dog struggled to get itself free and away from the freaky girl, yelping and throwing back its head. Finally it was free from her grasp and fled.

"Wait! Doggy! Don't run away! Come back!" Yuiko yelled, running after the dog.

She sweat dropped, realising she felt an odd sense of De-ja-vu. Upon realising this, she refused to give up and wanted her love for animals to be appreciated by animals, and continued after the dog.

"Come on, doggy! I'm not going to hurt you!" She yelled after the dog, racing ahead of her.

The dog turned round to see her still pursuing, so it picked up speed.

Yuiko was shocked in seeing how much the dog hated to be around her, so she stopped chasing. The dog, however, continued and ran under a gate. Yuiko panted and tried to catch her breath, only to realise how far she actually chased the dog.

She lowered her head in despair. "I cannot believe a 17 year old girl like me, chased a dog all the way out here… I feel so ashamed of myself…" She spoke to herself, realising she was on the outskirts of the town.

A crow squawked causing Yuiko to jump. The shock caused her to turn round and look up at a dark building. "This is the mansion… Right?" She stood back as a thought struck her. "If there's a wild animal there willing to kill, then that dog will…!"

Without thinking, her love for animals caused her to run through the tall, black gates to the land surrounding the mansion. The gates creaked open and swung on the rusted hinges.

Yuiko ran closer and closer to the mansion, suddenly noticing the dog, sitting patiently beside a tree, watching something. Yuiko swallowed hard and made her way to the dog.

As she walked closer to the tree, she began to hear music. A beautiful, yet lonely song. It was a harmonica but whoever was playing it was really good. She stopped in her tracks as the dog turned to face her. As it did so, the harmonica's beautiful melody stopped.

Yuiko walked slowly towards the tree, seeing a silhouette come into view. "E-Excuse me… But, that dog is my neighbours… They will be awfully worried if he doesn't return soon…" She clenched her fist and looked at the dog in concern.

The dog looked back at the person, sitting beside the tree and lowered its ears. It turned and ran past Yuiko, out of the mansion's land. Yuiko turned to see the direction it ran off to and turned back to the person.

She bowed politely. "Thank you for taking care of that dog. That song you were playing on the harmonica was really beautiful by the way!" She smiled sweetly.

The person stood up and walked away from the tree, revealing his black scruffy hair. He turned his head to Yuiko, revealing a sharp, evil glare at her, before fleeing into the direction of the mansion.

Yuiko stood there, unsure of what to do. "Hey! Wait! Where are you going! It's dangerous over there! There's a wild beast out here! You could get killed!" She tried calling back at him, but he had already disappeared from her sight. Her eyes saddened and she decided to turn back and go home, knowing that there would be no point going after the dog again and not wanting to be killed by a wild beast…

**Somehow I feel as though Yuiko is really, REALLY hated by animals. Just saying! Review please. X**


	3. Chapter 3

**Tehe... This chapter is slightly perverted, so I have added little info in some brackets as to what it REALLY means.**

**Enjoy peeps! ****(Although this chapter doesn't really have anything to do with the actual storyline, just a little extra for you! :3) **

"I'm home…" A mumbled voice came from the open door. It slammed shut as an evil aura filled the entrance. The girl stumbled around like a lifeless zombie, dropping her bag against a wall.

"Welcome back, Yuiko. Why are you so late?" Yuiko's father came to greet her from the veterinary clinic with a smile.

Yuiko looked up, her depressing aura building up around her. "I was rejected…" Her head lowered as she shuffled off her shoes and dragged her feet up to her room. "I'll be in my room trying to get my mind off my unrequited love…"

Yuiko's father perked up, completely oblivious to the demonic 'don't tick me off, I'm in a bad mood' atmosphere surrounding Yuiko. "L-love?" He gave her a wide grin and hugged his daughter from behind, giving her a jolt. "My daughter has finally found love! Tell me, what is he like?"

The atmosphere became more ominous. "I don't want to talk about it. I am never going to see him again…" Yuiko clenched her fists.

"Oh, come on, Yuiko! You can tell your daddy all about it!" He smiled and squeezed the life out of his daughter.

She freed herself from her father's killer hug and caught her breath. Yuiko looked at her father. "Well…" They went into the living room and sat down with a green tea. She tried recalling what the dog was like and tried to describe it to her father. "Well… He is very muscular and has a strong build. He looks very young, but seems to be a little fraidy-cat…" (Since he ran away from her, even though he was strong enough to hurt her)

Yuiko's father sat there. "It seems to me he is all bark and no bite, huh?"

Yuiko sat up "That's exactly right, dad! I knew you would understand, since it's you!" (Meaning he is a veterinarian)

Yuiko's father smiled. "Well, you could have never asked your mother!" (Thinking she means because he is a man) "So why are you all depressed? He seems to be really nice!"

Yuiko sighed and shuffled her feet. "Well… He was too fast and he had too much stamina for me to keep up with him…" (The chasing she was doing) Yuiko's father shot up with a worried expression.

"T-Too fast, you say? Too much…Stamina?" He asked, confirming that he heard right.

She nodded. "I tried to hold on to him, but he was just too big and slippery." (She's referring to the dog's fur being to shiny, it was hard to grip)

She stopped to look at her father, crying on the floor. "Uuuuuhhh, dad? Are you okay?" She nudged his shoulder.

"As long as that is what Yuiko wanted, daddy is fine with it…" He cried, forming a lake of tears around himself.

Yuiko tilted her head confused. "Dad, what on earth are you talking about?" She stood up and walked to her room. "I need to go upstairs and tend to some injuries I got." She pointed at her scraped knees and elbows, but her father was too preoccupied with the trauma and images in his head to look at what the actual 'injuries' were. Yuiko rolled her eyes and left her father there on the floor.

"Yuiko…My angel…Has finally lost her purity…To a guy who I have never met…" He cried and mumbled to himself, rolling on the floor in his puddle of tears. "She is too young. She is too young." He continued to repeat, until he received a phone call.

He sat up and answered the phone. "Hello, this is the father of a girl who just lost her purity, how may I help you…?" He cried.

Suddenly he snapped out of his emotional ramblings and changed to serious mode. "I see. I will be there as soon as I can!" He hung-up the phone and put on his lab-coat. "Yuiko! I'm going to the Katayama's! Their dog seems to have swallowed a stuffed cat. I'm leaving now!"

"Bye, dad!" Yuiko yelled at him from her bedroom, trying to patch herself up. When she had finished, she laid back on her bed and sighed, recalling that odd boy that was playing the harmonica. "I didn't manage to get a good look at his face, but he seemed scared of me. Those eyes…Were like that of a beast's than anything…" Yuiko's eyes became heavy and she slowly drifted off to sleep.

**To be honest, I felt rather sorry for making Yuiko live with such a perverted father (I mean, to be honest, he is, right?) But she is such an idiot (No offence, Yuiko) that she didn't even realise! She loves her lovely, kind, helpful (AND perverted!) father so much, she is blind to it!**

**I hope you guys likeyed! **


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys, sorry for the (very!) late update, but I have to revise for my school exams... They are approaching closer and closer from behind me. My updates will be sort of randomized because of this, since I have to find some time to fit my fan-fiction writing in with my revision stuff so, yeah...**

**Anyway! Enjoy this chapter. Personally, I think this story is taking its time getting to the main event and I sincerely apologise for this. It's just that I need to make everything fit and that's my difficulty with writing. I get so off track... Such as now. Please enjoy X**

Yuiko woke up with a wearily yawn. She checked the alarm clock beside her bed and jumped up. "Oh no! I'm gonna be late!" She hurried her things on and grabbed a slice of toast, running quickly out her house. "I'm leaving!" She yelled back to her father, still in bed.

She ran down the street, jumping over the curb to the opposite path. _I can't be late again…_

Yuiko suddenly stopped in her tracks as she noticed a boy on the grass in the park. His black spiky hair blew gently in the wind as he laid there. Yuiko walked slowly to the park, seeing the boy move his head slightly to her direction. She reached her hand out. "Em…Y-you're…"

"YUIKO!"

Yuiko jumped out of her skin, turning round to see Rena, one of her friends calling for her. "Come on! We're gonna be late!"

Yuiko turned back to the park to see the boy had disappeared. "Huh? But, where did he…?" She looked around to see nothing but the leaves falling from the lush green trees. "Weird…" She ran after Rena and headed to school.

"Eh? You went to the mansion!" Rena exclaimed.

The entire class turned to Yuiko's desk, where her friends had gathered around.

"Yeah, but I didn't mean to…" Yuiko placed a hand on her chin and pouted. "I only wanted to pet the dog, but he ran off into the land around the mansion. I looked for him everywhere but couldn't find him. Then…" Yuiko looked up to see the entire class was listening into her story, anxious to find out what had happened. She cleared her throat. "Then, I began to hear the sound of a harmonica. It was really pretty…"

"Wait, a harmonica?" A boy murmured in the background. "I heard that the kid who plays the harmonica is a demon. He's the one that is attacking people…"

Yuiko perked up. "Really? But…" She lowered her head. "I saw him. The dog was sitting beside him, listening to his harmonica. When I went closer to him, the boy ran away… Although his eyes were very beast-like…"

The class gaped at Yuiko, finding it hard to believe. "So... You're saying that the boy was scared of you?" Rena leaned towards Yuiko, who nodded. Definite to what happened. "I see… Are you _sure_ it was the boy who was playing the harmonica?" Yuiko nodded once again with a slight feeling of regret.

"I am absolutely sure. I think you all just seem to think he is a bad person 'cause he is solitary. He seemed very shy to approach me so he mustn't have very many friends… I think it's kinda sad…" Yuiko lowered her head and walked out of the class.

"Wa-Yuiko! Where are you going! I thought we were going to hang out after school!" Rena yelled after Yuiko, who turned and smiled.

"I'm sorry, Rena. I've just remembered I need to go somewhere after school, I promise I'll hang out with you tomorrow!" Yuiko waved back to her friends and ran out of the school with haste.

"Rena…" Sasamoto, the student council, approached Rena. "Do you think Yuiko is alright? She seemed a little bothered about something."

Rena looked out the window to see Yuiko running out the school grounds. "I don't know… I just don't want her to go back to that mansion… To be honest, that place gives me the creeps…" She smiled as she saw Yuiko turn to the park, the opposite way to the mansion…

Yuiko ran to the park, clutching tightly to her school bag. _I need to put my mind off that boy… It's getting too much in my head that I want to prove everybody wrong, that he is not a killer!_

She ran through the old black gate to the park. She stopped as she heard the gentle breeze brushing through the trees. Yuiko looked around to where the boy had sat, seeing a small squirrel with a nut, sitting quietly watching the world around him. Yuiko's eyes sparkled.

"A sq-SQUIRREL!" Yuiko ran toward the furry creature, determined to not let it get away. As she ran to the squirrel, it perked its ears and ran up the nearby tree to safety. Yuiko frowned and dropped to the floor. "Squirrel…?"

A gust of wind blew through the park. Yuiko turned to the entrance of the park, seeing a large building in the distance. The mansion. For some reason, Yuiko felt drawn to that place, perhaps due to her curiosity of finding out who that boy was.

She stood up and walked out the park, towards the mansion. "I should get changed first… If a high schooler, like me, is seen snooping around what would they think?" So Yuiko decided to go home first.

She ran to her room and changed into her old jeans and cardigan, then ran out. It seemed that her father was not home, so she made her way to the mansion without hesitation…

**So I hope you guys can be patient with me and read the next chapter when it is up. You guys are awesome supporters so I promise it will be worth your while waiting. (I cannot wait to leave school so I can get on with the important things like fan-fictioning...) _Ja ne_.**

_Ja ne: Japanese for bye_


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey, guys sorry for the looooooong wait. I've been trying to get my life sorted out and such, so it took a while for me to continue this. Anyhow, hope all you guys likey! X**

Yuiko made her way to the mansion, determined to show that the boy is not a killer. "I wonder why it bothers me so much…" she asked herself, running up the street. "It isn't any of _my_ business what they think of him. I just…" Yuiko stops, seeing the large dog from before in the middle of the road.

The pointed ears twitched, as it saw Yuiko standing there. Then all of a sudden, without any movement from Yuiko, it ran towards the direction of the mansion. Yuiko became depressed and dragged herself up the street. "Before I even said a word, that dog ran away in fright… Animals REALLY hate me…" She continued up the street, composing herself.

The clouds over-head were dark and ominous. Yuiko knew that if she wanted to see that boy, she had to hurry before the rain came. She ran down the street feeling a sense of insecurity as she came closer and closer to the mansion.

A gut-feeling told her to turn back, that it was dangerous, but she wanted to see that boy. Her curiosity was at the highest level and she knew if she waited any longer, she would die (Overly-dramatic thought of course).

The clouds began to rumble and roar, as if on the prowl. They shifted from side-to-side as if waiting impatiently for Yuiko to reach them.

A splash of water dripped onto Yuiko's cheek, causing her to look up to the sky. She saw the rain steadily increase in speed, covering her body entirely. Yuiko, being the idiot she was, never thought of taking an umbrella or even a jacket.

_Achoo!_

Yuiko wiped her nose on her soaking sleeve and ran towards the mansion. "If I don't hurry, I could get a fever… I should have watched the weather forecast today…" She began mumbling to herself knowing how much of a _Baka_ she was.

As she came closer to the gothic mansion, she saw a group of figures. They were a group of tall men with their backs facing Yuiko. She couldn't make out their features for the rain, but she knew they were trouble. She decided to shout to them, only to stop herself short.

Those guys meant business. As she came closer to them, she could make out their faces and eyes. They had a murderous glare to them and their grimacing faces looked frightening.

Suddenly, they turned to Yuiko. She froze (As if she wasn't frozen enough!). She swallowed hard as they came closer to her. She could now see a steel pipe in one of the men's hands.

"You must be his girlfriend!" One cackled to himself. _He must be the leader_, Yuiko thought to herself, seeing a large scar on his cheek. He deviously grinned at her, scanning her wet clothes (Perv!) "I mean, if you aren't, then why the hell would a pretty little girl such as you be out here?"

Yuiko tried to speak, but her nerves had her silenced. Nor could she move; it was as if her feet were nailed to the ground. She covered her chest, catching on to what they were looking at. Yuiko's expression stayed stern, not showing any weakness although she knew she was in deep trouble.

As the men walked closer to her, readying their weapons of steel and wood, at the corner of her eye, Yuiko saw something move.

It was sudden quick, so she could have imagined it, but because of that, somehow she could move again, as if it had lifted a curse. She began to slowly shuffle her feet back and away from the men, though they were getting closer and closer to her with their heavy, blunt objects.

A large crack of lightning spiked to the mansion's centre spear, temporarily blinding the men and Yuiko. As the group's eyesight came back, there was someone standing in front of Yuiko.

Yuiko's eyes widened as she was covered in a long black jacket. She shivered silently, gripping the collar tightly.

The men jumped back and waved their sticks and pipes at the boy standing and protecting Yuiko. "Wh-who the hell are you!" They began to cower like little pups. His mopped black hair and tall stature blocked Yuiko. The boy raised his head as another spike of lightning struck the mansion. His sharp eyes glared menacingly at the men. Yuiko did not know the boy, nor did she recognise him. What she did recognise, however, was the small and delicate harmonica, gripped tightly in the boy's hand...

**Baka: Japanese for Idiot, fool, stupid etc.**


	6. Chapter 6

**I'm being nice to you guys and giving you two chapters today (Just to make up for the 0 chapters this past month!) Enjoy**

**X**

The boy clenched his harmonica and raised his hand to block Yuiko. The forlorn face of the boy turned to Yuiko. His dangerous gaze didn't seem to frighten Yuiko. To be honest, at that moment, she saw the sadness and loneliness in them more than anything. She swallowed hard and gripped the jacket tightly.

"I-It's HIM! I knew It! That girl _is_ with him!" The scarred man raised his steel pipe nervously. Followed cautiously by his gang.

The boy turned to them in disgust. "This girl has nothing to do with me." His voice was gruff and manly but, also at the same time, gentle and a little childish. "If it's me who you're after, come get me!" His eyes leered at the men, who jumped at another lightning strike. They ran around one another, bumping and crashing into each other.

Yuiko and the boy sweat-dropped, watching the comical scene of thugs trip over each other. The boy let out an arduous sigh. Yuiko watched him from behind. _Is he…?_

The boy turned to Yuiko, giving a fright. She blushed slightly and turned her head. He saw her shy expression and hauled her over his shoulder.

"Hey! What are you doing! This is no way to treat a lady!" Yuiko yelled and kicked her legs in the air as the boy carried her into the tall black gates and into the dark, eerie mansion. Yuiko began to hit his back in a tantrum "Let go of me! I _can_ walk, I'm not that stupid!" (Really, Yuiko?) The boy lowered her onto the ground gently. When her feet touched the floor, she collapsed.

The cold and rain had gotten to her, as well as that little scare. The boy smiled slightly, upon seeing the sweet slumbering Yuiko on the floor of the entrance. He carried her bridal style (Oooohhh! If only Yuiko was awake to realise it! ^-^) up the large staircase and into a room at the end of a never-ending corridor.

It was a bedroom. The large dog from before was lying obediently beside the bed, raising his head to see the boy and Yuiko enter. Instead of cowering or running from the girl, he moved form one side of the bed to the other, resting his head on the sheets. The boy laid Yuiko delicately onto the king-size bed and covered her with thick, clean covers to keep her warm. Yuiko was in a quiet, restful sleep.

The boy rubbed her cheek to find it freezing. He rushed out the room for a short moment to grab a bucket of warm water and a crisp white cloth.

He knelt down beside the shivering girl and soaked the cloth in the wooden bucket before wiping her face gently and dabbing her cheeks softly and carefully. Yuiko stirred slightly in her sleep. "Not a monster…He's…Not…" She muttered in her dream.

The boy's eyes saddened and he left the room silently, leaving the dog to guard Yuiko who wandered quietly in her dream.

Raw sunlight beamed through the windows of the room, bouncing off the cream walls. Birds twittered and chirruped in the lush green trees outside.

In the large king-bed, Yuiko slowly opened her eyes. She felt warm and comfortable, snuggling into the sheets. "So warm…" She whispered to herself. It must be because of last night's rain that she felt extra warm, or perhaps was it something else? Her eyes flashed open and she immediately sat up. She looked around the room. "This isn't my home…" She slowly slipped out of bed and walked towards the large window on the opposite wall.

She peered out to see a wide landscape of trees and trees and trees. No roads or people. Just trees…

Yuiko looked at the door, hesitating to open it. It seemed that her clothes had dried over night and she could finally walk again. She smiled and slowly opened the wooden door out of the room.

She peered round the corner to see that there was nobody around. She stealthily (?) made her way down the corridor to a set of stairs. Confused as to where she was, she stood there and looked around. "Hello! Is there anybody here? Hello! Someone? Anyone?" No answer. She decided to head outside, since there wasn't anyone in the building, perhaps they could be in the garden?

Yuiko realised where she was the very moment she stepped outside, seeing the large black gates in the distance. Her eyes widened. "Then that means…" She looked around. She saw nothing but trees.

_Aarf! Aarf!_

Yuiko turned to hear a low bark coming from deeper in the garden. "A…Dog?" Yuiko's eyes widened and hearts flew in the air around her. "Doggy! Doggy!" She transformed into her over-pet-loving self and skipped to where she heard the dog.

As she arrived, it wasn't just the dog but her savior from before. The sound of the harmonica flowed into her heart making her smile.

_Aarf! Aarf!_

The second time the dog barked the harmonica stopped playing. Yuiko opened her relaxed eyes to see a boy sitting at the base of an old oak tree. His black hair blew in the wind and his devilish eyes glared at Yuiko. The dog sat close beside him, wagging his tail.

"Um…" For some reason, Yuiko felt rather shy. Not afraid, just nervous. "Th-thank you for saving me yesterday. A-and allowing me to rest here…"

The boy stood up and walked to Yuiko. He leaned over to meet her eyes, almost touching here nose. "I'm not… Scary?"

Yuiko paused for a moment, feeling the pain in his words. She smiled softly and shook her head. "You're not scary." She answered. The boy's eyes widened with shock and he became speechless. Yuiko raised her hand in front of her. "My name's Yuiko. Yuiko Kubozuka. What's your name?" She asked him kindly.

"Leo… Aoi" The boy spoke to Yuiko. "You aren't… afraid of me?" He tilted his head, leaning closer to Yuiko's face. She backed up slightly.

"You're not scary, Leo." Yuiko looked at him deeply in his eyes.

Leo gave Yuiko a childish smile. "Really? Thank goodness, I'm not scary!" He blushed slightly and looked at Yuiko in earnest.

Yuiko giggled to herself. Leo frowned and looked at Yuiko, perplexed. "What's funny? Did I do something wrong?"

Yuiko wiped her tears and smiled at Leo. "No, I'm sorry. It's just that… Everybody talks about you being a murderous animal, and I just can't see that in you!" She patted his black hair and began to stroke it. "You're more like a little kitten than anything!"

Leo smiled and closed his eyes. "Yuiko, you are the first person I have ever spoken to like this." He opened his lonely eyes and looked at Yuiko. "You are my first friend…" He smiled, bearing his white tiger-like fangs.

To Yuiko, his eyes seemed to be the friendliest and saddest eyes she had ever seen and his fangs were the most dangerous…

**Those who remember the first meeting of Yuiko and Leo at school, I took some script (can you call it script? I don't know) from it. I felt like adding it so it was like their first meeting in the Manga, just to connect them a little. **


	7. Chapter 7

**Wow, I'm on a roll here! I have managed to complete the next chapter in one day, I'm so happy! ^-^**

**Anyway, here it is! X**

**You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours**

A door slowly creaked open and closed. A girl discretely (?) slipped off her shoes and ran up the stairs.

"Yuiko?" A man yelled from the kitchen. He peered round the corner of the stairs to see the girl running down the stairs, skipping a few steps. "Yuiko! Where have you been? You were out all last night! Did… something happen?" Yuiko's father thought of the 'talk' he and Yuiko had a few days ago (refer back to chapter 3).

Yuiko ran and hugged her dad. "I'm fine, dad. Sorry for worrying you…" She pulled away from him and ran into the veterinary clinic to grab a bag of dog biscuits. She then ran to the fridge and took out two bottles of soda. She ran past her dad, spinning him like a ballerina, just not as daintily. She looked back at him. "Sorry, dad but I have to go. I promised to go back to his home after I got changed!" Her father looked at her in disbelief. "I'll be back later! _Ittekimasu_!" That was the last word out of her mouth before the door slammed shut.

Yuiko's father stood there motionless. "Going back to his… House? After getting changed…?" Yuiko's father knelt on the floor and began to cry. "My little girl… She… She…" He raised his head as a 'light' from the heavens beamed on him. "My little girl is finally a woman!" (You don't want to know the reason why he thinks this, do you? Hint: (Very inappropriate!) Pervy thoughts ^-^)

Yuiko held the soda and dog biscuits close to her chest as she ran through the street and up to the large black mansion with its dark aura (Normally, wouldn't a girl be running away from such things?). A bright smile spread across her face as she saw a figure sitting high up in a tree in the mansion grounds. "HEY!" She yelled, waving vigorously with one hand to the figure.

He turned to see her and leaped from the tree to the ground and ran up to the black gate. Yuiko sweat-dropped, seeing that the gate was almost 8 foot and the tree the boy was sitting on was almost twice the height. "Is that boy even human?" She muttered to herself as she slowed down near the gate.

The boy opened the ghoulish gate with a creak and smiled childishly at Yuiko. "Kubozuka-_san_!" He threw himself at Yuiko and wrapped his arms around her neck like a little child, purring and rubbing her face. "Kubozuka-san, you came back!"

Yuiko sighed and looked away. "Yeah, that's because I said I would come back…" Yuiko pushed Leo away from her and waved a finger in front of him. "And don't call me Kubozuka-san. It's Yuiko." She scolded him.

His ears (!) flopped down and his puppy-eyes looked straight at Yuiko. "But…" The boy pouted.

Yuiko shook her head and refused to look at his face. "No buts! I am your friend, so you call me Yuiko! Kubozuka-san…" Yuiko slouches over. "…Makes me sound like I'm old…" An image of an old granny with a walking stick appeared in her and the boys head.

Leo's ears perked up and his eyes brightened. "Okay, Kubo…Yuiko-san!" His tail (!) wagged happily.

Yuiko smacked her face and shook her head. "Loose the '-san' please. It still makes me sound old…" She murmured. After moaning to herself, she invited herself in to the mansion grounds and saw the large dog near a tree, wagging his tail.

Yuiko, trying to refrain herself from chasing after the dog, sat beside the old oak tree and placed the dog biscuits and soda beside her. Leo joined her and sat to her left. He smiled at the girl who smiled back. She picked up a bottle of soda and gave it to Leo. "Here. It isn't much of a 'thanks for everything' present, but it's the thought that counts, right?" She picked up the other bottle and opened it. A _fffssshhh_ noise escaped the bottle as Yuiko took of the lid. She took a large gulp of the soda before removing it from her lips.

Leo took a small sip, unsure as to what it was. His eyes widened and he removed his mouth from the bottle quickly. "Kubozuka-san! It's fizzing in my mouth!" His clueless-kitten attitude had reawakened.

Yuiko tried her hardest to not laugh at the innocent little boy beside her. "Really? Who knew?" She muttered to herself, trying to refrain from saying anything else. "And stop calling me Kubozuka-san!" She turned to Leo and scolded him, gently knocking her soda bottle on his head.

He flinched and nodded to the serious girl (In actuality, inside, Yuiko was laughing so much she was crying, but she never told Leo that ^-^) "Sorry…"

Yuiko folded her arms and raised an eyebrow. "Sorry, what?"

Leo shuffled his feet and looked down. "Sorry, Yuiko…"

A gentle hand stroked Leo's black spiky hair. He looked up to see Yuiko smiling at him. "Good boy!" Leo smiled back with a slight blush.

The two sat against the old oak tree quietly, feeling the cool wind across their faces. Yuiko opened the bag of dog biscuits and her overly-pet-loving self took over, trying to entice the dog to eat a biscuit from her hand, only to utterly fail. Childish tears crept their way through her eyes and she pouted, lowering her hand holding the bone-shaped, BBQ-flavoured dog biscuit.

Leo saw her depressed face and took a biscuit out of the bag. Immediately, the dog ran straight for Leo. "Sit." Leo ordered the dog, raising the biscuit in his hand, keeping constant eye-contact with the dog, which seemed to be doing the same but with the biscuit. Yuiko looked up from her brooding position at Leo who had complete control over the dog. He raised a finger to the dog's nose and the dog sniffed it. He then placed his hand palm-up, chest height to the dog. "Shake" He ordered sternly.

Yuiko's eyes sparkled as she saw the dog clumsily smack its paw onto Leo's hand. Leo grinned and gave the dog the long-awaited prize. "Good boy!" He ruffled the fur behind the dog's ears as he happily munched away at the biscuit. Leo turned to see Yuiko with an impressed expression, anxiously wanting to try it herself. Leo smiled and took out another biscuit, in which the dog immediately saw and fixated on as his next treat.

"Want to try?" He asked earnestly. Yuiko nervously nodded with an innocent expression. She shuffled closer to Leo and knelt on her knees. Leo shuffled closer to Yuiko and held her left hand with his.

He gave her the dog biscuit to hold and guided her hand to the dog's snout. He sniffed it cautiously. "Don't worry, this person is nice. She won't hurt you." Leo whispered softly to the dog that seemed to understand his words. Yuiko swallowed hard and watched Leo 'charm' the dog.

His calm, friendly expression caused her to blush, seeing how close his face was to hers. He moved her hand away from the dog. "Now raise your right hand in front of his nose." He gently guided Yuiko with his words. She raised it in front of the dog that sniffed it closely to its nose. It delicately licked Yuiko's finger tips in affection. She then placed her hand chest-height to the dog and softly spoke. "Shake."

The dog, as clumsily as he did last time, smacked Yuiko's hand with his paw. Leo guided Yuiko's hand to the dog's mouth and gave him the biscuit. Whilst she had the chance, Yuiko slipped her hand behind the dog's ear and scratched it, casing the dog to tilt his head contentedly to one side as he munched and crunched his well-deserved reward.

Surprised by the dog's reaction, Yuiko blushed even more, smiling as if she was the happiest girl in the world. But perhaps she felt that way because of a certain someone sitting so close to her, holding her hand…?

**Ittekimasu: Japanese term spoken by someone who is leaving the house i.e. to go to school, work, shopping etc. Literally translates as 'I'm leaving'**

**-San: A suffix used in Japan to be more formal. In Yuiko's case, the same idea as Miss Kubozuka/ Miss Yuiko. It can be used for either male or female and is oftenly used for older or adult men and women, although Leo is just using it out of politeness.**


	8. Chapter 8

**When did I update this last? Sorry guys for the wait!**

**I feel that this chapter is a little weak(and short), I guess its just a linking chapter more than anything...**

"So…?" Rena leaned close to Yuiko who sat casually at her desk, writing in her notepad.

Yuiko raised her head with a blank expression. "What?" she asked, immediately refocusing on her writing.

Rena leaned closer to the girl, who was obviously hiding something from her, and met her eye-level. "So, what happened at the mansion?" The sentence caught the attention of the entire class which veered in the direction of the girl writing. "You did go there, right? Well, did you meet that beast?"

"Don't be stupid!" A male classmate stood up from his seat. "She wouldn't be here if she did!"

With those words, Yuiko stopped writing and placed her pencil on the desk, leaning back casually in her seat. "I did." She replied, gazing to the dark and dangerous mansion in the distance. "I saw him. I spoke to him." She allowed a gentle smile creep on her lips. "I was saved by him."

The class gasp in amazement with the class pres jumping from his seat. "Don't you mean saved _from_ him?" he asked her, pushing up his glasses.

Yuiko sat there and silently shook her head, still keeping the soft smile on her face. "He saved me." She repeated.

The class begin to mutter amongst themselves. "Is this chick serious? Or did she just get hit on the head?" They started whispering, doubting Yuiko's statement. Rena seemed to be awfully confused as well. She looked at her in a way which Yuiko understood what she was thinking.

Yuiko nodded. "It's true. I went to the mansion and it started raining really heavily…" The class stopped their mumbling to listen in. "I came to the gates and saw a group of _yakuza_ who meant business…" She performed it like a play. "I was in big trouble, until 'the beast' came and saved me!" she jumped up with joy as she punched and kicked the air. "He beat them all to a pulp!" she stopped punching the air and laid on her desk. "I then collapsed and woke up in a room. I went downstairs, and there he was!" The class gasped in amazement. "He wasn't a bad looking boy either…"

The class gawked. "What? A boy? The beast is human?" They looked at one another as Yuiko confirmed it with a nod.

Rena slapped Yuiko's back and laughed. "Yuiko, you have a _big_ imagination!" she laughed awkwardly, unable to swallow the fact that the beast could well be a human boy.

At this point, Yuiko felt hurt but also understood. _they don't believe me, but why should they? I mean, there have been reports on brutal killings and stuff so I guess..._

"Let's get a sundae after school and get our minds off this creepy mansion stuff, alright?" Rena smiles to her friend who nods slightly. "By the way..." she immediately changes subject. "What were you writing in that notebook of yours?" she asked inquisitively.

Yuiko smiled. "It's a secret!" she placed her finger to her lips. _I can't tell her. After all, if she finds out I'm writing a list of things that Leo likes..._

She stops her thoughts from breaking into speech and looks distantly to the mansion. A gentle, yet pitying smile grows on her face. _I feel sorry for Leo. He's misunderstood by everyone..._

"Except for me." she speaks quietly to herself as the bell rings for next period.

**I'm going to try to update this weekly (not monthly) but since Xmas is rearing its head, I may update randomly. I just hope the snow arrives soon so I can worry less about school work and more about this story! Lets hope, eh?**

_yakuza_= japanese for gangsters/gang etc.


	9. Chapter 9

**Before anything, I love you guys so much! Those who are reading this new chapter after a year of waiting, I am so thankful that you are still faithful to this story and I cannot apologise enough for not updating in over a year! ... So, i will give you 2 new chapters today and another tomorrow. And 'thank you' replies to any of your guy's reviews! Enjoy! ^_^**

"Hey, Yuiko?" Rena snapped her fingers in front of Yuiko's face.

She snapped out of her daydream and looked at her friend. "Huh, what? What is it Rena?" She asked innocently.

Rena sighed and placed a hand on Yuiko's shoulder. "Aw, geez. I've been speaking to you for ages and you weren't listening?" Rena looked to the guys surrounding Yuiko's chair. "The guys are wanting you to take them to see the beast you describe as nothing but a happy-go-lucky boy."

Yuiko lowered her head and lightly brushed Rena's hand off her shoulder. "You guys don't believe me, do you?" Rena averted her gaze, embarrassed. Yuiko raised her head to reveal a determined expression. "If you don't believe me, then come to the mansion with me today after school!" she spoke proudly.

Rena was unsure whether she was joking or was serious, but either way she had to agree to go with her best friend, right?

"Alright, you'll see! He is just a beast in appearance!" Yuiko closed her book as the bell rang. The rest of the class shuddered at her statement. Even if the beast was actually just a boy, having the appearance of a beast is a little… frightening in itself….

And, sure enough, Yuiko took Rena and some of the class(the others were too afraid) to the big black gates of the mansion. "Well, we're here!" She announced, even though it was obvious. After her words, she pushed the gates that creaked loudly on its rusted hinges. Yuiko's classmates huddled close to each other, including Rena who was extremely unsure if she really wanted to know after all.

She knows that the things Yuiko finds cute, Rottweilers, Afghan hounds, Tarantulas, worms, aren't exactly what other (normal) people would categorize as 'cute'.

Yuiko walks into the grounds of the dark mansion with a cheery smile on her face, almost skipping down the cobble path. She turned to see her classmates shuffle along slowly and carefully, quirking in their shoes and looking around to make sure they aren't caught by a surprise attack (of what?). She just smiles at them and continues deeper, looking to the single trees scattered in the garden, trying to spot any movement at all.

Then, as if on cue, as the classmates begin to relax, a dog barks. The group nearly jump out of their skin and stumble and fumble around, tripping and trying to regain their balance that was lost from shear fright. Rena stood there shaking. "Y-Yuiko? I think we should head back…"

But, before she could hear an answer Yuiko ran to the direction of the dog bark. "He's this way!" She yelled to the group who refused to move, or rather, their feet refused to move.

Yuiko paid no attention to the group who stood there going nowhere and ran to a big black dog who wagged his tail happily, slobbering onto the ground. Yuiko slowed down to a walk, although she would prefer to continue running.

Sure enough, the black-haired 'beast' sat there casually beneath a tree, sleeping contently. Yuiko's presence was made clear to him by the black dog who barked and jumped around frantically, almost saying _she's here! She's here! I don't know if to be happy or afraid, but she's here!_

"Hi, Leo." Yuiko spoke with a smile on her face that mirrored off Leo.

The classmates watched from afar.

"Yuiko!" Leo quickly stood up and leaped to Yuiko like a little puppy.

But, to Yuiko's classmates, it looked as if he was going to kill her, pouncing on her like a tiger would do to its prey. The screamed and yelled and ran out of the mansion grounds as fast as they could. Rena however stood there, refusing to leave her friend's side and deciding to go to her 'rescue'.

By rescue, it turned out to be a rescue from a hug. Rena stood there wide eyed, blinking and making sure she was seeing the truth.

Yuiko pushed Leo away from her gently and looked towards Rena. "This is my friend, Rena. Rena, this is Leo." She introduced the two who looked at one another surprised.

Rena began to feel awkward and bowed low. "Th-thank you for taking care of Yuiko!" she said quickly, still nervous about approaching the 'beast' who, at that moment, was as dangerous as a little kitten.

Leo stood up cautiously and approached the girl. He leaned close to her face. "You're afraid of me. Aren't you?" he asked her, knowing the answer was of course 'yes' without her saying anything.

Yuiko's smile turned to a frown. _I feel sorry for Leo… But I can understand why Rena feels that way._ Yuiko lowered her head and walked towards Rena, placing a comforting hand on her shaking shoulder. "It's okay, Rena. He's not going to hurt you…"

"HE'S A MONSTER!" Rena screamed from the top of her voice. She raised her head and backed away from Yuiko. "That _boy_ is a beast! No matter how much he fools you, Yuiko, you have to remember those news reports about people winding up half dead because of him!" she yelled, shaking and quivering.

"Wait, Rena!" Yuiko yelled after her friend who turned her back and ran for her life, tears clearly visible on her face. "Rena! He's not…"

"She's right." Leo interrupted her, his head hung low. Yuiko turned to him with some fear in her throat. "She's right." He repeated before turning from Yuiko. "I am… a beast."

After his final word, he ran. Yuiko stood there unsure as what to do. Should she go after Rena who was worried about her? Or the beast who saved her?

**Guys, thank you so much! My life has all been messed up due to me only passing 2 of my 5 exams, so I've been feeling down a lot... But now I've left school I have more time to write this. And I love reading your guy's replies, they always give me a sense of joy ^_^ Reviews are always extremely appreciated! :)**


	10. Chapter 10

**Okay, I'm not sure if this chapter will suffice to you guys... My writing style, well I've tried to keep it the same but I feel that I may have gone OOC with Yuiko. But, I guess I could blame her OOC to her having a fever. Anyway, if you guys think this chapter is structured differently, or the character's have changed slightly, please tell me so I can fix it before messing it up! Enjoy...**

It was late in the evening when Yuiko returned home to see her father busy with work. She didn't feel like eating so she headed straight up to bed and threw herself on the bed covers.

In the end, she went looking for Leo around the mansion but couldn't find him anywhere. And she knew her friend wouldn't want to see her, so she went straight home. What was she supposed to do if she did find Leo? Comfort him and tell him she will never be afraid of him? Or just pet him like a little dog? She remembered Leo's last words before fleeing. "She's right. I am… A beast."

"Why did Leo say that?" Yuiko moaned as she buried her face into the soft pillow and kicked her feet in the air. _Unless those rumours are true and he did kill some people. But, the Leo I know is so sweet and loving, like a puppy… _She couldn't work him out at all. She buried her head deeper into the pillow. "Leo…"

"Yuiko! You'll be late for school!" Yuiko's father shouts from the first floor.

Yuiko shoots up, wide eyed and in shock. "I fell asleep? Oh, no!" She jumped from her bed and threw on her school clothes. Leaping down three steps at a time, she sprinted downstairs and out the house in record time, saying farewell to her father and jumping into her shoes.

She couldn't be late for school, she's never been late for school. The weather wasn't on her side either, with the sun blazing down with an immense heat. It was hard for her to keep up the pace she had in the heat. Luckily for her, she knew a shortcut through the park that took her close to the school, and she arrived with a few seconds to spare… Just.

The bell rang the instant she took her seat in the classroom. She leaned back and released a heavy sigh. "*huff**huff* I made it…" She let out a few coughs and leaned forward to start the lesson.

Midway through the lesson, Yuiko began to cough even more and her concentration wavered. The class president looked over to see Yuiko a light red. "Hey, are you alright?" He whispered to her.

Yuiko turned to face him and gave him a weak smile, but said nothing. _This is bad_ Yuiko thought to herself. _I can't afford to be sick, I just can't. I feel too hot in here…_ She turns to the window to see that it is wide open. She turned back to face the front and struggled to keep her concentration.

The bell rang for the end of school. Somehow, Yuiko was able to survive the lessons and keep her concentration enough to write down notes. Although not very many. Rena hadn't spoken to Yuiko all day, but the concern on her face was obvious. She watched Yuiko as she struggled to her feet and left the class in half a daze.

"Some fresh air will do me some good…" Yuiko said to herself between coughs. As she stepped outside, Rena caught up with her.

"Hey, Yuiko!" She yelled after her friend who turned around suddenly. "Yuiko, are you alright? You've looked really sick all day…" Rena spoke in a voice, unsure as how to act. It was understandable, since the other day Rena ran from Yuiko without hearing an explanation.

Yuiko looked at her best friend with eyes of sincerity. "I'm alright, really! It's just a little cold, that's all!"

Rena felt bad for not speaking to her friend all day, even though she was sick. "Um… Yuiko? Is it alright if I walk with you home?" She asked.

Yuiko gave her a soft smile. "Actually, I'll be going to the mansion to find Leo. He must feel lonely after what happened yesterday…" She knew it would be more wise for her to return home, but she had to see Leo. All she could think about was Leo.

Yuiko started to walk away, when Rena grabbed her arm. "Are you stupid, Yuiko? You're sick! You need to get home, don't worry about that monster!" Rena stopped as she realised those words fell out her mouth. She felt a deep sense of regret. "Um, Yuiko, I'm sorry. I never meant to-"

"It's okay, Rena." Yuiko butted in, facing her friend with a smile. "I know you don't like me seeing him, but… If I don't, then no one will. He's all alone and that thought makes me feel sad." Yuiko brushes off her friend's hand from her arm. "You don't need to come with me. I'll be alright, I promise."

Yuiko walks out of the school grounds and heads towards the mansion atop of the hill. "W-wait! Yuiko!" Yuiko stops and looks to see Rena running after her. "Yuiko…" Rena grabs Yuiko's arm once more and looks into her friend's eyes. "Yuiko, I'm going with you."

Yuiko smiles at her friend and nods. The two of them make their way to the mansion, where the beast boy awaits…

**I... I don't know if I jumped too much in this chapter. I haven't written in a long time, so it may just be me. Or it could be that I did end up jumping too much. Reviews are much appreciated and I love you guys ^-^**


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